Follow-Through, Brick by Brick

No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune.

—Plutarch (public domain)

…But how many times have we “wetted the clay” only to walk away from what could have been? We have a grand vision, an epiphany; we see precisely what we want to accomplish, we wet the clay in preparation, and then it happens. A thousand little negative forces come at us. From doubt, to procrastination, to simple distraction. The clay hardens.

No matter what great idea your mind has hatched, I guarantee you that others could find a thousand reasons why it will not work. The market is saturated. Someone has already done it. It is too costly. You don’t have the experience needed to complete the project. Uh oh, maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all.

No! There was something about this undertaking that got you excited, made you passionate. So put up your hand and dispel every one of the forces trying to separate you from the wet clay. You will build it, and nothing is going to stop you. Start small, using just enough clay to shape the first brick. Then repeat, and repeat, and repeat.

When you hatched the idea for your project, you immediately designed a blueprint (at least you should have) showing what your completed masterpiece would look like. Now, break it down into the smallest of segments, and begin with the first—focusing all of your attention and energy on it. Completing that segment is your only mission. Once it is completed, the brick hardens, and you have successfully moved forward.

If you follow this plan of attack, something amazing will happen. You will gain confidence in your own abilities and you will be more focused on tackling the next step in the process. So, embrace your plan, and complete your masterpiece, brick by brick!

MSH

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